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THE UNION PACIFIC ON TENNESSEE PASSThe photos in this section are from my last trip to Tennessee Pass in April of 1997. Within four months the Union Pacific had shut down the Tennessee Pass Line from Minturn to Leadville. Even though this was mid April there was still a lot of snow on the ground. I had planned another trip to Tennessee Pass, before Labor Day in 1997 but by then the UP had shut down the line. The operation was still pretty much the same under the Union Pacific, as it had been under the Southern Pacific management. Basically there were merchandise trains east and west, loaded tanconite trains westbound, loaded coal trains eastbound and empty coal trains returning west. The helpers stationed at Minturn now included 5 UNION PACIFIC AC44/60 CWS, to go along with the 3 SP AC4400CW'S.
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THE THREE FACES OF TENNESSEE PASS
THIS WAS AN INTERESTING SHOT OF A WESTBOUND (1CHROM)MERCHANDISE TRAIN(MAINLY EMPTIES) AT PANDO. THIS TRAIN WAS LED BY UNION PACIFIC SD40-2 #3545, RIO GRANDE TUNNEL MOTOR SD40T-2 #5341 AND SOUTHERN PACIFIC SD45R. AT THIS POINT THERE WEREN'T A LOT OF UNION PACIFIC UNITS ON THE FORMER SOUTHERN PACIFIC LINES AND I LIKE THIS PHOTO SINCE IT REPRESENTS THE THREE DIFFERENT RAILROADS TO OPERATE TENNESSEE PASS. |
EUGENE LUMBER TRAIN AT KOBE, COLORADO
THE FIRST TRAIN I SAW ON THE LAST TRIP I MADE TO TENNESSEE PASS WAS THIS SHORT EUGENE TO CHICAGO(1EUCHQ) LUMBER TRAIN AT KOBE, WHICH IS EAST OF LEADVILLE, COLORADO. THIS TRAIN WAS LED BY SOUTHERN PACIFIC #6819 A SD45 TUNNEL MOTOR, THE SECOND UNIT WAS A FORMER CONRAIL GP38-2 WITH PLENTY OF GRAFFITI AND A SP B30-7. THIS TRAIN WAS ENTIRELY BOX CARS LOADED WITH FINISHED LUMBER FROM OREGON. |
EUGENE LUMBER TRAIN AT KOBE, COLORADO
#356 WEST, JUST ENTERING BELDEN CANYON. THIS TRAIN (1MNGVC)IS LOADED WITH TACONITE PELLETS FOR THE GENEVA STEEL MILL AT Vineyard, Utah AND HAS 6 SOUTHERN PACIFIC AC4400CWS. TWO UNITS ARE ON THE HEADEND, TWO DPU'S ARE MIDTRAIN AND TWO MORE DPU'S ARE PUSHERS ON THE REAR. THE WEATHER WAS STARTING TO THAW THINGS OUT AND THE MOW CREW HAD REPLACED QUITE A FEW TIES IN BELDEN CANYON. IN THE BACKGROUND OF THIS PHOTO YOU CAN SEE THE HIWAY BRIDGE NEAR REDCLIFFE. THIS BRIDGE PROVIDED A GOOD VIEW OF EAST BOUNDS.... |
THE LAST EASTBOUND I SAW ON TENNESSEE PASS WAS 1OANSF
WHICH WAS A OAKLAND TO KANSAS CITY FORWARDER FOR NORFOLK SOUTHERN, LED BY A SOUTHERN PACIFIC GP60 AND TWO SP SD45'S, WITH A TRAIN OF EMPTY AUTORACKS(IT WAS LIGHT ENOUGH THAT IT DIDN'T NEED HELPERS). I DECIDED TO CLIMB UP TO DEEM TUNNEL FROM THE HIWAY (NOT A SMART IDEA WHEN THERE IS SNOW STILL 3 FEET DEEP IN PLACES)AS I WANTED TO SHOOT A TRAIN COMING THROUGH THE TUNNEL. I USED A 300MM LENSE FOR THIS SHOT OF THE EAST BOUND #9611.